


여행 Camp Half Blood (Korean Version)

by pinqaliqo, taekookieluvs



Category: EXO (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Percy Jackson Fusion, Broken Homes, Bullying, Demigods, M/M, Mental Institutions, Minor Character Death, Multiple Personalities, Shitty Families, Shy Jeon Jungkook, Suicide Attempt, Sweet Jeon Jungkook, Tata is innocent, Tata is soo cute!, To tired to think atm, V is a MONSTER, V is a SHIT HEAD, poor taehyung
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-05-06 02:36:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14632308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinqaliqo/pseuds/pinqaliqo, https://archiveofourown.org/users/taekookieluvs/pseuds/taekookieluvs
Summary: This is a BTS x EXO in Percy Jackson-eques AU verse. These will be mostly one-shots focusing on how the characters came to camp, and maybe a few years into it, depending on who.Characters also are currently all over an adult age, but the Korean version of camp allows all agesI may or may not make current ones after that.The first page is the current age of characters and other essential information you need to know.Then it will be Jungkook's story first!Also... please do not hate on me for which god/goddess I made their parent. Please/Thanks





	1. Characters

**Author's Note:**

> ENJOY!
> 
> This is somewhat of a collab. I will write some, and my partner **pinqaliqo** will write some.

**ZEUS**

 

Kim Jongdae (Chen) - 22 (Heterosexual)  
Abilities: Lightning

 

**POSEIDON**

 

Park Jimin - 21 (Pansexual)  
Abilities: Hydrokinesis

Kim Junmyeon (Suho) - 24 (Heterosexual)  
Abilities: Hydrokinesis

 

**HADES**

 

Kim Taehyung (V) - 21 (Bisexual)  
Abilities: Ghost Warrior Summoning, Fear Implantation & Empowerment

Do Kyungsoo - 23 (Heterosexual)  
Abilities: Geokinesis

 

**ARES**

 

Jeon Jungkook - 19 (Homosexual)  
Abilities: Superstrength & Weapons Mastery

 

**APHRODITE**

 

Kim Seokjn (Jin) - 25 (Polysexual)  
Abilities: Persuasion & Transfiguration

Kim Jongin (Kai) - 20 (Heterosexual)  
Abilities: Teleportation & Transfiguration

 

**APOLLO**

 

Jung Hoseok - 22 (Curious)  
Abilities: Precognitive Artistry

Byun Baekhyun - 23 (Homosexual)  
Abilities: Photokinesis

Zhang Yixing (Lay) - 23 (Heterosexual)  
Abilities: Healing

 

**ATHENA**

 

Kim Namjoon (RM) - 23 (Bisexual)  
Abilities: Technopath & Photographic Memory

 

**HEPHAESTUS**

 

Park Chanyeol - 21 (Homoromantic Demisexual)  
Abilities: Pyrokinesis

 

**MINOR GODS (HERMES CABIN)**

 

Min Yoongi - 23 (Bisexual) //Hypnos  
Abilities: Astral Projection

Oh Sehun - 20 (Heterosexual) //Aeolus  
Abilities: Aerokinesis

Kim Minseok (Xiumin) - 26 (Panromantic Demisexual) //Khione  
Abilities: Cryokinesis


	2. Jeon Jungkook

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who is Jeon Jungkook, Son of Ares?

Jungkook had been born several weeks premature to his single mother but after a stint in the hospital to make sure he could strive he was sent home as a healthy infant. He always seemed to be behind, and small in growth compared to all the other children in his classes. The brunette was beyond shy and never spoke unless spoken to too first. Instead of ruff and tumble with the other boys his age growing up, he would often be found sitting by himself and playing with toys or working on a puzzle. It didn’t bother him that others didn’t try to befriend him, it was easier that way for him, less scary and no anxiety.

This continued well into high school, and even to the point that he had become the target of bullies because of his introverted nature. It was mostly just hurtful words, and locker shoving so he decided to just deal with it, he could do that, besides he had everything he needed, his mother. She was the sweetest, and kindest woman in the whole world and he LOVED her so much! It didn’t matter what he was going through at school, because as soon as he got home, it all melted away by the sight of her smile.

Ms. Jeon had tried a few times to get her son to participate more and be more active but every time it broke her heart when she saw the fear and anxiety on his face. Eventually, she stopped altogether and let him be. She often wondered if Jungkook really was the son of Ares, he was so different than them, but she knew better as he was the only viable person. However, she couldn’t help but hope that maybe… since he was already fourteen that he wouldn’t develop god-like powers (many children of gods were as young as 11) and become hunted by mythical creatures because her baby was just too soft to handle that. Sadly, her hopes were dashed when one morning he woke up and out of the blue he had taken the door of his bedroom off the hinges when he opened it. To say he freaked out was an understatement. The explanation that followed had been even harder for the teenager to teenager to grasp. 

At the mention of a summer camp full of demigods, Jungkook had visibly tensed up. He didn’t like the idea at all!! So many new people he didn’t know, and with special abilities to bully him with! He did not want to go and the first summer that rolled around, he didn’t. His mother was fearful to push him too much but had also been fearful that monsters would come for him sooner or later. So after much research, she found a way to temporarily protect him, an enchanted necklace he could wear that would help hide whatever signature that demigods sent out and evil beings picked up on. This worked well until his powers became stronger and he was unable to control them (breaking shit all the time) and soon enough they had trouble bearing down on them. 

Each monster they encountered had threatened their existence and Jungkook knew he needed to man up and go to this so-called camp to make sure his mother was safe. She was the most important person in his life. She traveled with him all the way to Jeju Island and had planned to meet a camper at the gate but shit went to hell as they trekked up the climb. A pit scorpion (unknown to them what it was exactly) had blocked their path. It lunged at Ms. Jeon and without thinking Jungkook acted in defense, stepping between his mother and the monster. He wrapped his hands around his ‘neck’ and squeezed, easily snapping it, dropping its corpse to the ground. The seventeen-year-old sighed in relief but hadn’t realized the monster had managed to sting him on the back and through his clothes until his hearing started to fade, and vision became blurred. Only a few moments later he collapsed onto the green glass before his mother before he slipped into unconsciousness.

When the teen had regained consciousness his body felt heavy and he was in an unfamiliar place, laying on a stiff cot. An older man, maybe in his forties made his way over to him when he noticed him awake and introduced himself as Nae Intae. He was one of the ‘teachers’ at the camp. He then introduced to other guys who had been awkwardly standing at the foot of the cot. Two sons of Apollo. They had been the one who found and saved him. Byun Baekhyun and his brother Lay, who possessed the ability to heal, which was lucky on his part, or Jungkook might have died a few minutes later. The younger hoarsely thanked them both before asking frantically about his mother. Mr. Nae informed him that his mother had been quite shaken up but was fine, and would now be safe as mythical creatures really had no interest in humans. Jungkook visibility deflated in relief at the news. 

\--

The brunette spent the next two summers in misery. He trained non-stop to hone his superpower abilities so he could keep them in check, and allow himself the privilege of going home during the year to spend with his mother. Jungkook hadn’t made any friends. His shy demeanor was still very much intact and chose to alienate himself. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want any of this. He just wanted to live a normal life, so he sat and ate alone. Kept to himself, and if other even tried to befriend him (like Baekhyun) he acted like an idiot and pretended like he didn’t notice. Most people didn’t even pay him any attention though, he was fifteen and still lanky and skinny as all hell (compared to the other Ares children). Always last to be picked at capture that flag, well besides Kim Taehyung, he wasn’t quite sure what his deal was, but he didn’t even care to find out. 

\--

It was Jungkook’s was seventeen when puberty decided to finally hit him, he had always been a slow bloomer. However, when it hit him… it hit him hard. He was no longer that small, skinny kid who hadn’t grown into his limbs. No. He had somehow developed EVERY single feature a teenage boy every dreamed of achieved obtaining. Defined jaw, plump lips, proportional arms, shoulders, and legs with just the right amount of muscle, then there was his abs… you could bounce a coin off them. He didn’t understand, how he could physically change so much in a year, and he wasn’t so sure he liked it. Especially when he returned to camp.

The attention he never received the first two years, he was getting now. Some campers even though he was new, not even recognizing him. All the eyes on him made him uncomfortable. The worse was when he had been sitting at his normal table and trying to eat in silence when suddenly half of Aphrodite's children and a few others had decided to join him. He immediately tensed at it. They even had the gall to flirt with him, and the girl on his right was subtly brushing her shoulder against his. Jungkook wasn’t good around people, they scared him, but girls… they fucking frightened him. He could feel his chest tightening, and it became harder to breathe. The brunette wanted to run from the table, but he also wanted to finish his dinner, it was quite the predicament. His eyes darted around the pavilion quickly, in search of some sort of solution to his problem, and then he saw it, or more like him. Kim Taehyung. Jungkook smirked, knowing it was perfect! With that, he stood from the table, grabbed his food and made it way over to the other.

“Mind if I sit here?” he said with a shaky voice, still having issues breaking from the impending panic attack. The other brunette looked up from his food and his eyes were as wide as saucers, obviously surprised, he shook his head though and Jungkook took a seat. The younger could hear all the gasp from around the pavilion as they just saw him willingly take a seat next to the son of Hades, but he ignored it and just dug into his food. The two males ate in silence, it wasn’t awkward, it was comfortable and Jungkook thought he might like sitting here from now on. 

\--

The next time Jungkook sees Taehyung though isn’t at the pavilion though, he had been suspiciously absent and that kind of made the younger sad. He wondered where he could be. He found his answer one day when he was relaxing near the strawberry fields, sketchpad in hands as he drew the sight. Jungkook had always planned to major in art and maybe take a few photography classes when he finally got to go to university. He had almost finished his drawing of the field when he noticed the ‘missing’ male skipping through the fields cheerfully. He was wearing bright clothing, green shorts, a yellow shirt with a cartoon he didn’t recognize and was barefoot. The other looked quite cute dressed like that and happy with the smile on his face. The younger watched him for quite some time, enjoying the relaxing scene until he saw the other trip and let out a cry of pain. Instantly he was up and on his feet, sprinting towards the other. 

When Jungkook saw the other he was curled up into a ball and clutching a scrapped and bloody knee. He was crying for more than one would expect for such an injury and wondered if he might have hurt himself elsewhere. After a long struggle, the younger managed to convince Taehyung to help carry him to the infirmary tent for treatment. When he was carrying him the other kept repeating, ‘It hurts,’ in a childlike manner and it confused Jungkook as to how he could act like such a baby. 

\--

The next time Kim Taehyung came into his life had been scary, to say the least. It was during a game of capture the flag. Jungkook was on Red, Taehyung on Blue. It didn’t much matter in this situation though. The younger hadn’t even been playing, he wasn’t interested in violence really and had been hiding out when he was grabbed harshly by one of his brothers. While his half-siblings had never really cared much about him and liked to pick on him he never expected them to literally gang up on him and seriously harm him. With Jungkook’s passive nature he didn’t really fight back, he should have, by he didn’t have it in him. It was true what they said. He was a bastard son of Ares and didn’t belong. So as they stomped him into the ground he didn’t care, letting his anxiety and self-worth get the best of him. He expected unconsciousness to come to him soon with the next few attacked but they never came. 

Jungkook looked around confused from his position on the ground. He couldn’t make out much but what he saw was… frightening. Several ghost-like warriors had surrounded him and another bunch was busy fighting his siblings. A fearful aura had also settled around the area and it chilled him to the bone, causing him to shaking in terror. Next, the face of Taehyung appeared only a few inches from his own and the sinister smile on his face made Jungkook want to flee. “You are going to be okay now,” he said, but the voice sounded deeper and quite disconnected. He didn’t believe the words that were spoken, surely Taehyung was there to hurt him. It felt like he was. A few moments later and his vision faded to black.

The brunette didn’t understand at all what had happened during the incident but when he saw his siblings… they looked more fucked up than him, and that was saying something. They also seemed to be constantly frightened and didn’t bother him anymore. 

\--

A few days after Jungkook had fully recovered from his injuries he had been invited to the rock climbing wall with a few people. Normally he would decline instantly but decided to make it a test run for college that was quickly coming up. Surprisingly, he found himself having a ton of fun as they all raced to the top, trying to see who was the master. All the playful and happy chatter when silent though when Taehyung appeared, seemingly ready to climb himself. Nobody stepped up to volunteer to be his spotter, but he looked to be used to that and started without any safety gear. Jungkook stared in awe as he watched him climb. He was quite nimble, despite how fragile his body looked.

Taehyung was almost to the top and the brunette secretly found himself rejoicing at how awesome he looked, but his stomach dropped immediately when the walls clashed and lava started to pour down. SHIT! He hadn’t been quick enough. There was an ear-piercing shriek as the molten liquid ran over the surface of the other brunette’s hands, obviously causing him an immeasurable amount of pain. The pain had caused him to reflectively let go and Jungkook could see him falling through the air. While it was quite high, it was doubtful that Taehyung would die upon landing, but he would definitely sustain some serious injuries. The younger didn’t even want to think about that scenario, and before he realized he had found himself posed and positioned to catch him, and that he did. 

“Jungkook?” Taehyung spoke in a confused and quiet whisper after opening his eyes when he seemed to notice he had come in contact with firm arm and not the unforgiving grown. “Let’s go get your hands looked at,” was all the younger replied. “Why?” the older tried to press, but Jungkook shook his head as if it didn’t matter why he had caught him. Just that he had. 

\--

After those three incidents, Jungkook and Taehyung had begun to eat meals together, they mostly sat in silence, which again was fine with the younger because he was so timid in nature. It was nearing the last weeks of camp and Jungkook would be heading home soon, and Taehyung would be staying, he had learned this fact over the last two summers. Before he didn’t care, but now, he wondered why the other didn’t go home during the year. He didn’t have the nerve to ask him though.

It was the last week of camp and Jungkook actually was sad he was going to have to leave soon. He had made a friend. Well… if you could call Taehyung a friend. He was definitely weird, to say the least. Had the oddest mood swings he had ever seen, but Jungkook could deal. Thing was… the last few days, Taehyung had been distancing himself from him. He was showing up less and less to meals and often skipped out of their planned ‘hang out’ sessions. The younger was really starting to worry. So, today he had made up his mind to find the elder and ask him what was going on. It took him what seemed like ages to finally find him, after searching everywhere in camp. He finally found him at the edge of the boundaries, at the tallest cliff that overlooked the rocky sea below. All he could see was his back and was about to call out to him but before he could… he JUMPED!

Jungkook’s heart almost ripped itself from his as he sprinted to the edge where his friend had just taken a dive. WHY THE FUCK WOULD HE DO THAT?!?! He kicked his shoes off. The brunette knew he wasn’t the greatest of swimmers, and that the undercurrent of the sea below was probably deadly, but there was no way he could just let Taehyung die. With that thought in mind, he followed suit without any hesitation.

The water was freezing as he breached the sea. Almost immediately he found himself being pulled under and gulping down salt water from the impact. He kicked his feet and stretched his arms as he swam up to get air. He had been right about the current, it was strong, and he found himself being dragged along. 

“Taehyung!!” he shouts between swim strokes as he fights back against the current. Nothing.

“TAEHYUNG!!!” he yells louder after coming up from a diving. Again nothing.

His stomach had started to clench tightly in dread. Had he already lost him? Was he too late? No. Jungkook refused to give up hope!

“FUCKING KIM TAEHYUNG ANSWER ME!!!” he screams at the top of his lungs, his voice raspy from the swimming. Jungkook swore, if the sea didn’t swallow them both, he was going to kill Taehyung himself. 

The brunette didn’t know how long he had been calling the others name, diving and searching for him. All he did know was that he was frozen, and his energy was sapped. His arms had begun to ache, his legs spazzed with each kick as he tried to propel himself towards the beachside but he was failing miserably. He wasn’t giving up, he told himself. Not at all. But he knew he wouldn’t be able to find Taehyung if he drowned himself. 

Jungkook found it increasingly hard to keep his head above the water and had basically ended up treading water in place because he couldn’t get enough strength to move against the current. He had swallowed another mouthful of water and started to gag, his legs stopped kicking and he found himself tumbling, almost backflip like underwater with the drag of the current. Well fuck. Love does crazy things to you, he thought, as he assumed he was inches from death. However, all of sudden he stopped tumbling, something seizing hold of his ankle. Next thing he knew he was being pulled towards where he had assumed short was prior. What the fuck? His eyes had been closed, the saltwater having made them sting that he couldn’t keep them open anymore. 

After a short few minutes, his back came into contact with something solid, his eyes shooting open. He took in a huge breath. Oh god, it felt good. A quick glance to his left rewarded him with his ‘savior’. A short, but muscular black haired male, who was surprisingly dry for just coming out of the water. He was going to thank him but he was gone in, back into the sea before he could even open his mouth. Jungkook couldn’t tell with his blurry eyes, but with the way he had been saved, he assumed the other to be none other than Park Jimin, son of Poseidon. 

Jungkook shifted himself so he was now looking out at the tumultuous seas, he brought his knees up to his chest. He had fallen in saving Taehyung. There was no way he wasn't dead now. The teen wanted to cry, ball his eyes out, but they were so dry from the salt that nothing came. He had instead buried his head in the crook of his knees and rocked himself back and forth like he used to do when he had anxiety attacks. He snapped it back up though he heard noise back on the shore. OMG! He jumped to his feet when he saw Jimin-ssi dragging an unconscious Taehyung by the arm behind him.

“TAEHYUNG! TAEHYUNGIE!!” the younger called out, dropping to his knees next to the still body when Jimin stopped. 

“He’s… he's not waking up!” he shouted, clear panic in his voice. 

He watched as the black haired male kneeled down and pressed two fingers to the side of his neck, and then lowered his ear to listen for breathing. Jungkook shrieked, yes shrieked, when he saw what the other did next. He positioned Taehyung head back to open up his airway, parted his lips with his fingers before proceeding compressions on his chest. He wasn't breathing. OMG Taehyung wasn’t breathing! Jungkook was wringing his hands together as he watched the other press his lips to the brunettes, and if it were any other situation, he would probably be really fucking jealous. His knuckles had started to become blue as Jimin kept repeating the process until finally there was choked, gagging sound that came from the previously unconscious male as he spits up water.

Jungkook was straddling the older in .02 seconds and grabbing him by the collar he was beyond furious at him. He kept on demanding why he had tried to kill himself. 

“WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU DO THAT TAE!!! TELL ME! WHY WOULDN’T YOU TALK TO ME!!!” he says particularly loud, he was getting desperate to hear the voice of the other. 

Finally, Taehyung had muttered something along the lines of his life being hard, and that nobody even cared about him. The son of Ares could still remember to this day exactly what he shouted at him. 

“Are you fucking stupid?! All of our lives are difficult Tae! Where demigod's for Christ sakes! But you have to be blind to see that I don’t care about you! God damn it Taehyung… I would go as far as to say love you!” he hadn’t meant for it come out so harsh but it had, and he found himself flinching at his voice. 

In truth, he didn’t know exactly when he had realized his true feelings for the older, but after almost losing him, he couldn’t help but blurt out the confession what he had been harboring the last few days. 

No turning back now Jeon Jungkook.

\--

It took a long time for Taehyung to actually feel comfortable enough to open up to Jungkook about everything he was struggling with, and what he went through, but the younger had been patient. In the end, everything started to make sense, with the random mood swings, which had actually been other multiple personalities he had met. It wasn’t until the about the second half of Jungkook’s fourth summer (18 y/o) that Taehyung agreed to ‘officially’ date him. The two also seemed to have picked up a pocket-sized friend from Taehyung’s little lapse of judgment, and his name was Jimin as well as a tall ass blonde named Sehun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have Taehyung's written, but I'm too tired to edit 6k words atm, so I have to wait until tomorrow. Hphm.


	3. Kim Taehyung

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is it Taehyung? V? or Tata?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this took me so long to get up. Sigh.
> 
> I had it done AGES ago, but need to update it.
> 
> As for Jimin... I dunno if his story will be added as he is played by another member. I am waiting to see if she wants to co-op with me. *crosses fingers*
> 
> As for me... Baekhyun and Chanyeol's story is next.
> 
> I hope you guys are enjoying these. :)

Taehyung had always been a spunky, quirky and rambunctious child. His mother always had her hands full with his antics. Always roughhousing with the neighborhood children, or pulling pranks at school that got him into trouble. However, he was also the sweetest kid you would ever meet. He had so much love to give and was loved much in return. He made friends easily and even had a treehouse that they would have sleepovers in at his home in Daegu. His mother worked a lot to support her son, being a single mother, but she had help from her parents who thought Taehyung was the cutest thing to ever bless the planet. Taehyung loved his family and his life. Everything had fallen into place for him, and he was the happiest child in the world. 

Things weren’t ever meant to stay perfect for Taehyung though. Everything started to change on his ninth birthday. At first, all his friends had come over all excited to celebrate and stuff their faces with cake, but before they could even get to cutting it all the kids had asked their parents to leave. The brunette didn’t understand. His friends didn’t like him anymore? They had looked terrified as they left as if they had seen a ghost. So the sad little Taehyung spent the rest of his birthday alone, staring at the cake his mother had spent her hard earn money on. He was beyond upset that he couldn’t even bring himself to have any and went to bed early. That night… that's when the nightmares began. 

They were torturous. They felt so real! They were occasional at first, but eventually, they started visiting him almost every night and his mother didn’t know what to do, other than to comfort her son when he woke up frightened and screaming. Things had gotten weird at school as well. After his birthday party, his friends had started avoiding him. They always gave excuses as to why they couldn’t come over and play superheroes, or go to the park, and while at school, they wouldn’t even look at him. He had gone from sitting with tons of people at lunch, to sitting crying by himself. He didn’t understand. NOT ONE BIT. What had he done wrong for them to suddenly hate him? If he knew he could fix it! Things continued on like this for Taehyung for several months where he started spiraling into a deep depression (he was 9). 

Regardless, he still tried his best for his mother. He loved her. He always wore his huge boxy smile for her, and never let her see how everything was really affecting him. Taehyung was a strong boy. He would get through this and things would get better for him. The child would not burden his mother anymore, she was already stressed with how they would afford next months rent (yes, Taehyung was very bright and noticed this). 

It had been a particularly hot day in April when everything seemed to come crashing down around him. Taehyung remembered this because he was sweating bullets and his mother had sent him to go to the corner mart and get him a popsicle. When he returned, a little pep in his step, throwing open the door to their small home his eyes bulged wide and he let out a shriek at what he saw in front of him. What is that... that thing? Taehyung had never seen anything like it before. Was it a lion? A scorpion? A man…? He didn’t have a chance to figure it out though as his appearance was made known to it, the creature turning to face him and baring its teeth at him. Taehyung peed himself on the spot before blacking out in pure terror.

The next thing the nine-year-old recalled was finding himself pushed up against the wall, his hands, shirt and literally everything covered in blood. A few meters away laid the ‘expired’ body of his mother. His body was shaking violently as he let out loud wails, and sobs. The child had just lost the one person in the world who loved him more than anything and he didn’t remember what happened. Not long after police officers had come barging into his home. They didn’t pay him any mind as they saw the woman (to be honest, they were afraid of this kid, he had a weird vibe emitting from him). While they were occupied with something else Taehyung yelped, startled as two large black dogs with deep scarlet eyes appeared in front of him, seemingly appearing out of where. He expected them to attack him but instead, they sat on their hind legs and simply looked at him, one had even laid its head on his lap. The child gasped at the movement, but while they looked super scary, he felt oddly comforted by them. He had always loved animals, a soft spot, particularly for dogs. 

If the officers had decided to pay any attention to the kid now, they would merely see a Boston Terrier and Beagle trying to console the child and not Hellhounds. After a few moments, the black dogs moved from their positions, one headed towards Taehyung’s room, the other stayed by his side. The brunette wasn’t sure what to do but he stood up on wobbly legs, the dog near him moving for him to be supported. Taehyung wrapped his little fist gently into the fur and followed to his room. The one in his room, Tae would name him, Lideo, because he seemed like the leader, had yanked out one of his dresser drawers and was sitting staring at his backpack on the floor. “Y-you want m-me to pack-k?” he asked with a stutter softly to Lideo. The dog simply nodded in confirmation. Chocolate colored eyes widened. He had understood his question. 

The brunette quickly shoved some clothes into his small bag and grabbed his favorite plushie his mother had bought him when he was little. He wasn’t sure where they were going but he pulled on a tiny jacket in case it was cold before slipping on his sneakers. When he was done he stood quietly, clutching at the bunny stuffy in his hands waiting on what the dogs wanted him to do next. Lideo nudged him towards the other dog and tried to propel him onto its back, he had failed and he face planted. “Its-s ok-ay. I-i can do it-t,” he spoke, standing up and climbing onto the large black creature. He leaned flat down onto his chest, smushing Bunbun (his plushie) under him as he snuggly wrapped his arms around the dog's neck, and his little legs around its stomach. Once he was secure the dogs didn’t waste any time as they sprinted towards the window of his room. Taehyung gasped… it wasn’t even open! He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the crash of the broken glass, and shards to be embedded in his arms but it never came.

With a beyond confused mind, he opened his eyes but it was pitch black, he blinked several times, but still saw nothing. Was he dead? He didn’t feel dead. Instead, it felt like he was traveling so fast that his face was going to peel off, and he was going to lose his grip on, Boho, he had named this one as she seemed to be protective and sweet. Give him a break, he’s nine. After a few minutes, a bright light appeared in the near distance and he started to freak out. ‘It’s the light… THE LIGHT!!!’ he thought to himself and now he was sure he was dying and being delivered to Heaven. Taehyung was proven wrong though as the trio broke through it and he found himself in one of the most beautiful places he had ever seen (maybe it was still Heaven). There was so much green and he could see that they were surrounded by water on several sides. Were they still in Korea? How had they even managed to actually get here? He had so many questions. 

Taehyung could feel Boho start to shake under his weight and he frowned, was he becoming too heavy? He quickly slipped off the large black dog and he could see the gratitude on her face at the action. The brunette smiled, it was small but smiled for the first time since he had come back to his senses. Lideo barked, and it was so loud that the child took a tentative step back out of instinct before he saw the dog point his nose towards a large arched gate in front of them. The brunette stared at it for a while. If they wanted him to pass through it he wouldn’t, he couldn't, he felt like his legs were literally rooted to the spot. Instead, he collapsed to the ground, pulling them up to his chest and hugging Bunbun tightly. 

He had been silently panicking that he hadn’t noticed another boy exit from the archway and approach him. He had short black hair and was maybe a max of two years older than him. “Hi. What’s your name?” he asked, which had Taehyung whipping his head up to look at him. His lower lip jutted out, trembling slightly but he didn’t respond. Boho had sat tiredly next to him and again tried to rest her head in Taehyung’s lap, the boy letting his legs drop so the dog could. Lideo, on the other hand, had let out another bark, not quite as loud as the last but still enough to make the brunette flinch. “Ah… Kim Taehyung,” the newcomer spoke suddenly and said boy’s eyes widened, how did he figure out his name. “The hellhound told me your name,” the older boy responded, knowing he would be confused. “You will eventually be able to understand them as well. Anyways. I’m Do Kyungsoo,” he smiled. While he was sure he was trying to be nice and show kindness, his smile was kind of menacing and awkward. 

“You must be confused? Have a lot of questions?” Kyungsoo continued, knowing when this all happened to him he was the same. Taehyung just nodded. “Well I can help explain things, but… it's not really safe out here. We should get inside the camp’s borders,” he suggested and held his hand out to help the other up. Boho moved her head so he could take the offered hand but he still stayed rooted in the spot, not moving forwards. He glanced at what he now knew were Hellhounds wearily, Boho nudged him forwards as if in recurrence. The nine-year-old shuffled forward slowly, his hand in Kyungsoo’s but he frowned when he noticed the black dogs weren’t following. “They can’t come in. While they are tolerable of us… it is in their nature to hunt and destroy. They would be a danger to others inside the camp. Don’t worry though. I think those two have taken quite a liking to you. I’m sure you will see them again,” he squeezed the younger's hand. 

“S-see you l-later… Li-deo and Bo-ho,” he stuttered, and for the first time, Kyungsoo heard his voice. Both Hellhounds barked back. “They said of course, and they approve of the names you gave them,” Kyungsoo informed him. Taehyung beamed. He actually beamed as he was lead through the archway.

\--

Kyungsoo had indeed explained everything and his tiny brain had a hard time wrapping around it all at first. The main points he had managed to pick out was that his biological father was a Greek god, Hades, to be exact. Kyungsoo was his hyung, as they shared the same father. That life for him would only get harder from here on. While he was safe within the camp's grounds he would have trouble fitting in. While his Hyung was naturally immune to it, Taehyung emitted some sort of aura that caused others to be extremely fearful, as if they were living their worse nightmare. Was that what had happened with his old friends? Had this aura scared them all off? 

His hyung had been absolutely right though. Everybody in camp had avoided him like the plague and looked at him with judging eyes. It hurt him. He hadn’t done anything wrong. Taehyung was outraged! He hated that all this happened. He was beyond furious that he had been born to an immortal parent, and that it had to be the God of the Underworld at that. All this had cost him his beloved mother and made him feel like a pariah. He found himself in either a constant state of sadness or anger and eventually he started blacking out and losing spaces of time. He never remembered what happened during that time, only that he would wake up in completely different locations than before and it freaked him out. He really must be going crazy!

\--

When Taehyung turned ten he snuck out of the archway, he had a weird feeling that someone or something was waiting for him. He hadn’t been wrong. Once he crossed he had been met with the faces of two familiar black dogs. “Lideo! Boho!” he shouted instantly perking up as he sprinted to hug them both. “Happy Birthday Taehyung!” he heard in his head as Lideo barked, which was followed by a “Happy Birthday Taehyungie!” by Boho. “Whoa!! Soo Hyung had been right!” Taehyung exclaimed at the revelation and almost started crying. “I missed you two so much!!!!” he buried his face into the neck of Boho and she just nudged him back with a cuddling like sensation. The three stayed like that for several minutes, before the brunette pulled away. Lideo laid down, where Taehyung rested his head on his on his abdomen and looked up at the stars, and Boho laid her head, yet again on his lap. They laid like that for hours, catching up on everything that had been happening with him, and the Hellhounds did their best to comfort him. When it was finally time to depart the two promised to visit him more often. As he sprinted back towards the camp he waved wildly at his best friends (his only friends). 

\--

I was nearing Taehyung’s eleventh birthday when had managed to get himself into some serious trouble. He had snuck out of camp because he was beyond bored out his mind and was so tired of being silently judged by the campers. He had made it halfway towards the civilian settlement below before he realized it had been a big mistake. Of course, being the klutz he was he had to trip on a rock that was barely jutting out from the grass and found himself rolling down the remainder of the hill. When he reached the bottom he could feel the intense pain in his ankle, it hurt so bad, he didn’t think he could make the walk back to camp. He wished his best friends were there, they would know how to help him. Taehyung resigned to lay there until someone found him, laying his head back on the grass. 

His eyes had started to flutter asleep but they quickly snapped open when he heard something approaching from his right. At first, he thought it would be humans from the town below, but oh how wrong he was. Instead, his sight fell on a creature that seemed to be half crocodile, half beaver. It was really quite ugly, and that's saying a lot coming from Taehyung, who loved all animals. Its own eyes looked hungry, ready to devour its next prey, and they were dead set on him. The brunette shuffled back on the grass with his hands and good leg but it was advancing too quickly. Why could he never be given a break in life? He reached into his pants pocket and produced a small pocket knife he had nabbed back at camp and flicked it open. What the fuck was he going to do with that against such a huge creature? Probably not much, but he refused to sit back and do nothing. 

The pre-teen didn’t get the chance to use it though as three ghost-like warriors appeared in front of him like a shield. Taehyung blinked. Blinked again. Nope. They were still there. He looked around to see if another demi-god was in the vicinity and had summoned them, but he was utterly alone. Had his father done it? Nah. He hadn’t done a single thing for him except send him Lideo and Boho when he was nine after his mother was killed. Taehyung wasn’t sure of anything, but he wanted to test a theory. He threw his arm out and pointed at the crocodile-like creature and as if the almost see through beings had been given a command they charged at it and started an assault. ‘HOLY SHIT!’ he thought to himself. Did he just… did he just command some ghost warriors? He was doing a little victory dance in his head before he remembered he still had a messed up ankle. He watched as the beaver-crocodile hybrid creature was defeated, disappearing into ashes before him and then as quick as they had come, the ghost warriors also departed. At least it seemed he was safe for the time being before his body suddenly convulsed and he blacked out, yet again. 

\--

It had been weeks since the incident and he still didn’t remember how he had gotten back to camp. He hated having such large and frequent gaps in his memory. Taehyung was currently laying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, again, bored out of his mind. Something felt especially off tonight. Like, his thoughts had been invaded and weren’t completely all his. At first, he thought it might have been a trick of his mind, or even another demi-god messing with him, but it wasn’t. 

“I’m V,” he heard in his head and immediately shot up in a panic. 

“Damn. You really are weak and stupid aren’t you?” the voice spoke again. It sounded sinister and even sent chills down his spine.

“Confused right?” the voice chuckled. 

“Oh right. You don’t talk. Well, unless it’s to Lideo or Boho. It’s a damn shame, cause we have a great voice,” it continued. Yup. Taehyung had officially lost it. He knew he had a few screws loose in his head, but this was an all-time low.

“Ah. You're not crazy. Well… actually. Nah. Yah we are,” V, as the voice had named himself spoke. Well, that was definitely reassuring. 

“Let me explain…” 

And explain V did, with an assortment of colorful word choices (he didn’t act like an eleven-year-old). Taehyung had learned that he was sharing his body, HIS BODY, with at least two other personas. This one, V, who to him, sounded like a complete ass, and a Tata, who from the voice in head described him, sounded like a five-year-old, froufrou. Normally, people wouldn't believe this stuff, but with everything he had been through, it had kind of made sense. Especially when he filled him in on how he had gotten back to camp after injuring his ankle. Apparently, his Hellhound friends had made an appearance, sensing he was in danger and carried him back, and V hobbled back to the cabin. It was all quite mind-numbing information but also felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulder to finally know what had been going on. 

\--

Taehyung had quickly learned that V was indeed an asshole. He was like all the worse parts of himself. The anger and sinister feelings he had always tried to lock up. While most of the time when another persona was in control it felt like he was in a deep sleep, but sometimes, it was weird, he could see what they were doing, like behind a glass window, unable to intervene. So when he saw V bully other campers with their already shitty aura he was helpless to do anything. He had taken a particular likening to a tall blonde boy that resided in the Hermes cabin. He was a child of a minor god and possessed the power to control the wind, Tae thought it was a cool power, unlike his own. Things like this happened on the daily for him, never sure when he would be in control of his own body, feel like he slept for a week, or have a front row seat to V being a dick.

\--

It was the summer of Taehyung’s third year (11 y/o) at camp (same year he found out about V and Tata) when a new top three child appeared. His name was Park Jimin. He was small in stature and had cute squishy cheeks. He seemed to have a natural charm to him, and a sweet personality so it came as no surprise that he had quickly made friends. Taehyung had found himself often green when he saw him, jealous of how happy he looked. He also had a mother, father, and brother back home. Another thing Taehyung didn’t and would never have again (Kyungsoo was nice, but he wasn’t his mother). V had also seemed to pick up on this feeling of his because not long after the menace had started bullying him. At first, it was verbal insults, and when he found him alone he would increase the strength of his aura and cause him to pass out. It had seemed to be enough for V, well, until the small fry had decided to meddle. 

That was during Taehyung’s 7th year (15 y/o). V had been in a particularly foul mood that day, for god knows what reason and was taking it out on poor Sehun when Jimin stepped in. This infuriated V like no other, you could almost see a fire in his eyes as he glared at the black haired teen. It was a bad mistake on Jimin’s part because he had become the monsters new favorite target, and he wouldn’t hold back. V would enjoy making him bleed, causing discolorations on his perfectly smooth and colored skin and broken bones. 

\--

Taehyung had watched V wreck havoc in his life for so many additional year, unable to do anything about it. He felt so weak. Shit. He still never talked to anybody. He had contemplated ending it all a few times, but he was so faint-hearted that he couldn’t bring himself to do it. No… not until a certain Ares boy dropped into his life. Jeon Jungkook. He had seen him around camp and he seemed almost as lonely as him. The younger teen also sat alone, but Taehyung was sure it was because he chose too and not because he HAD too, like him. 

He had never expected the nineteen-year-old, who had somehow transformed from this lanky, gawky kid, to this… dare he say muscle bunny overnight, to approach his table one night and ask to join him. Taehyung stared at him in confusion. How the bloody fuck! How was he able to stand there and not pass out? Was he immune to his aura? After a long silence, Taehyung simply nodded, not knowing what else to do. He hadn’t been this close to another person since he was nine (he’s not counting the people V bullied), how was he supposed to act? He looked down to food and just continued to eat in silence. Thankfully the other didn’t seem to mind, nor did he try to strike up a conversation with him.

\--

Taehyung almost never felt happy anymore. The rare exception. Tata. The five-year-old persona that inhabited his body was so innocent and carefree. He reminded him of himself when he was little. Maybe he was melded after him? Most of the time when Tata was present, Taehyung fell into a deep sleep so it was a real treat when he got to ‘tag’ along and feel all the euphoric sensations that he let off. Tata was a treasure really. 

Today Tata had decided to skip through the strawberry fields in camp, and smell flowers. Just generally enjoy nature under his bare feet. It felt so good to Taehyung. He was enjoying it immensely until the five-year-old tripped and skinned up his knee. He could feel the pain, it was only a dull ache to him, but to the toddler, it must feel terrible as he curled up on his side and held his knee. In a few minutes, the little boy would be fine and just walk it off and continue playing. However, not in a million years had he expected another person to take interest in Tata, and for that person to be none other than Jeon Jungkook. Taehyung internally gasped at the sight of the concerned teen as he tried to help the sobbing child persona of his before he was hoisted up into his strong arm. Was he hyperventilating? Yup. Good thing Tata was in control cause it would have gotten messy, real fast. 

\--

The next time Taehyung had seen Jungkook, it had been as a passenger while V was in control. He could see the younger getting the shit beat out of him by his so-called siblings, this made him sick to his stomach. V of course, being the dick he was had simply leaned up against a tree and watched it all unfold, arms crossed over his chest. Great. Just Great. Taehyung was about to start screaming at V to go help him. Plead even. Not that it would matter, V had never listened to him before. He would try anyway though. Just as he was about to yell though he found his body moving towards the teen. Well, this was a new development. Was he going to help? Or shit… was he going to join in? No. No. No. He pleaded internally to himself. Once V was close enough he grabbed one of the Ares boys shirts collar and yanked him roughly off Jungkook. 

“Don’t you think he’s had enough?” V spoke in a deep, cool voice at first.

“Shut up monster! This isn’t any of your damn business!” the boy spat. That was a big mistake. 

“Your right. It might not be, but as you said, I am a monster and I JUST can’t help myself,” he smirked, a sinister glare in his eyes before tossed the boy to the side. 

V had increased the intensity of his aura with a simple bat of his eyes, just this alone had the others backing up. 

“Oh… you don’t wanna play with me?” he snickered and gave a wink before summoning five of his ghost warriors with a snap of his fingers. Over the years V had practiced their shared ability of summoning them and had become so good at it. Taehyung on the other hand… well, he could still use some training. “Go…” he waved two of his fingers playfully and the warriors attacked full on with their swords, forcing the Ares kids to defend themselves. 

With the ‘little shit heads’ (like he was one to talk) distracted he turned his attention back to Jungkook. He knelt down next to him so the other could clearly make out his face before he spoke, “You are going to be okay now.” V scoffed though when almost immediately after the other lost consciousness. He decided to leave him there for the staff to find him. Jungkook was much too heavy for him to carry back to the infirmary. Besides, he wanted to draw some blood for some reason. He turned his attention back to the Ares campers and joined in the fight with his fist flying.

‘WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED!!!!’ Taehyung screamed in his head as he witnessed V, fucking V, save Jungkook of his own damn will. Taehyung felt like he was going to faint. 

\--

A few days later Taehyung found himself bored out of his damn mind, again, surprise, surprise, and Kyungsoo wasn’t at their shared cabin. Fuck this. He was going to go do something. The brunette decided on rock climbing, it was normally free at this time of day he thought. When he got there though he mentally cursed himself when he saw a rather large group of campers having races with each other. He also didn’t miss a certain, Jeon ‘Fucking Hot As Hell’ Jungkook. Taehyung didn’t know what had come over him all of a sudden as he stepped into the crowd, ignoring how it went completely silent and they backed up. He glanced up at the wall, rolled his neck and sighed. The brunette knew nobody would spot him, but he had done this a few times alone and seen V complete it countless times. He could do this. He was going to show Jungkook that he was worth something. With that thought in mind, he took a hard gulp and started up the wall. 

Taehyung was making speedy time he thought as he scrambled up the rock holds, but apparently he had been wrong as he felt the wall he was on move forward and clash with the other. He knew what came next. Almost simultaneously molten lava poured from the top and he didn’t have time to even react before it had flowed over the tops of his hands. The pain it caused was so agonizing that he let out the loudest shriek. Damn. He didn’t know his voice could get that high. Out of instinct from the pain, his hands had released there hold on the wall and he found himself falling to the ground. He squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for the inevitable and boneshattering thud but it never came. His whole body was shaking as he slowly opened his eyes and he found his gaze landing on a certain Ares boy. 

The brunette didn’t understand. Why did the younger catch him? Was he really just dead, and this was just an illusion created by his father to trick him? Taehyung opened and closed his mouth several times before he was finally able to voice something. “Jungk-kook?” he questioned at first. Holy shit! He just spoke! Taehyung! Him! He spoke for the first time since he was nine to a person! A human (well half human)! The younger didn’t confirm his identity, probably because he thought it was obvious, and thought Tae was an idiot. Instead, he said they should get his hands looked at. The brunette wasn’t quite satisfied. “Why?” he asked, but the younger just shook his head and walked off with him in his arms. He never got a damn answer. Stupid Jungkook! Amazing Jungkook!

\--

After that, the two of them had seemed to create a weird bond. Taehyung wouldn’t say it was friendship, it had been so long since he had an actual friend that he didn’t know what it felt like. Sure, they ate meals together but they didn’t talk much, Tae still not comfortable much with using his voice. But they had something. He just didn’t quite know what it was… and it scared the shit out of him. 

\--

It was the last week of summer camp and he had been particularly down about it. In a few short days, all the campers that came just during the summer would be leaving, including Jungkook, and he would be left alone again. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being stupid. Jungkook didn’t really care about him. How could he? He was a fucking monster, and so messed up in the head. The teen had just been entertaining him, or maybe even playing with him. There was NO WAY Jungkook even remotely cared about him. God. He was a nobody. A stain on this world. Someone that shouldn’t have even been born. V was a menace and was bound to kill someone one of these days, maybe he already had. Suddenly the morbid thought of his evil persona hurting, NO, murdering Jungkook flashed through his mind. He couldn’t let that happen. No way in hell! The younger deserved great things in life. Not to have his life cut short because he had gotten his life entangled with him. Taehyung would remedy that, by doing something he had never had the courage to do before. 

Taehyung found himself at the edge of the camp's border, hovering close to the cliff that overlooked the rocky sea below. He balled his fist at his side. He was determined this time. The brunette wasn’t going to back down this time. No. He was doing this to save Jungkook. With that, he jumped towards the dark, cold sea below. When he hit the water it felt like shattering glass before he sunk below the waves, letting the frigid water surround him. He didn’t fight it. Welcomed it like a mother wrapping a blanket around their child. His mom. Maybe he would see her again. Nah. He was going straight to hell, and that was no place for his mother. Memories of him and his mother flash before his eyes, he felt serene. Next he sees a toothy bunny smile, and hears a cute laugh. Jungkookie. He really was quite cute. This was around the time Taehyung expired all the oxygen in his lungs and could feel himself choking.

“Taehyung!!” he hears a shouting ring in his head as his body struggles for air. 

“TAEHYUNG!!!” he hears his name again, he’s imagining it. 

Out of reflex his mouth opens and he takes water into his lungs. This is it. He can feel it. His head is so lightheaded, and his vision is dotted with black dots. 

“FUCKING KIM TAEHYUNG ANSWER ME!!!” he hears the voice once more time before his body stills and his vision goes completely black. 

\--

What the fuck? What is on my lips? Taehyung’s eyes snap open at the same time he expels the water from his lungs, which burn like a bitch. He is pulled into a sitting position by the collar of his shirt. The brunette’s vision isn’t clear yet so he can’t make out who it is but he’s too weak to fight them off. They are yelling something, and they seem super pissed, but it's also has a concerned undertone. Soon he’s being fiercely shaken, he assumes it because he’s not giving any reaction to the other. 

“WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU DO THAT TAE!!! TELL ME! WHY WOULDN’T YOU TALK TO ME!!!” he finally makes out words, and it sounds like Jungkook. 

Taehyung blinks his eyes several times and finally the younger brunette comes into view, he looks like he’s on the verge of tears. Did he invoke this from him? Had he really caused Jungkook to worry? To cry…

Taehyung mutters about how his life is hard, how nobody cared about him, and in a barely audible whisper he adds, ‘to protect you’, but he doubts the younger heard it.

“Are you fucking stupid?! All of our lives are difficult Tae! Where demigod's for Christ sakes! But you have to be blind to see that I don’t care about you! God damn it Taehyung… I would go as far as to say love you!” Jungkook immediately responds.

“WHAT?!” he questions, did he just hear that right? Or are his ears clogged with water? Jeon Jungkook, said he ‘loved him’? Well, that was it, he couldn’t hold back anymore. Tears flowed down his cheeks as he started to sob. He had been so stupid. He really must have been blind to not see what he had right in front of him. Jungkook’s muscular arms wrapped around his slender frame and pulled him into a hug, Taehyung returned it. 

“I said… I care and love you Taehyung,” Jungkook whispered near his ear, which caused the older to whimper slightly. 

“Oh… by the way… This is Jimin-ssi. He saved your dumb ass from dying,” Jungkook added, introducing the small black haired boy that had been sitting awkwardly on the sand next to them. 

“Was he the one who was kissing me?” Taehyung asked jokingly through a sob. Jungkook paled in color at the insulation that the Poseidon kid had kissed him. Nobody answered, instead they let out giggles. 

\--

Taehyung was sad when Jungkook had to leave at the end of summer but he promised to visit and said if he ever found a way to get a cell phone they could text, chat and video call each other. That had made the older brunette smile a lot. Jimin had also offered his number to him before he left. Apparently, he let bygones, be bygones, when it came to V beating him up at the promise he wouldn’t do it anymore. Taehyung had promised, but in truth, he couldn’t be a hundred percent sure the other persona would comply. Apparently, Jimin had realized that he had been suffering from multiple personalities without having to be told. That just left Jungkook. He wasn’t sure how the other would take it. 

In the end, he finally opened up and told him everything that had happened in the past when he came to visit for a few days during the winter. Taehyung was surprised by how well he accepted it. He told him it didn’t matter, because he felt something he had never had before, and he would do whatever to make it work. Taehyung melted into a metaphorical puddle of mush at how amazing Jungkook was, and how he knew he didn’t deserve him. The next summer was a big change for him. He had three (JK, Jimin, and Sehun) new people sitting with him at meals and who wanted to hang out. 

Taehyung knew the younger wanted to become official with him, (Jungkook being as sweet as ever) but it had been such a scary thought that he could get hurt. It had taken until halfway through that summer for the brunette to finally jump into the deep end (shouldn’t have been hard considering) and finally said yes. The way the younger’s eyes lighted up at his change in response had Taehyung feeling like putty for the younger. He knew he was making the right choice. There was nobody more perfect for him.


	4. Park Jimin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All about Park Jimin our little mochi.
> 
> Written by my friend pinqaliqo!

" _Jiminie… This is your little brother, Jihyun._ "

At two years old, there was not much that Park Jimin could comment on in regards to his little brother. While his mother lay on the hospital bed cradling the newborn, his father held him against his hip so he could see. If he was older and wiser, he would have clearly seen that between the two young boys, they bore no resemblance.

At two years old, he didn’t know any better. He was just excited that he would have a little brother to play with.

He grew up alongside the younger boy in a quiet neighborhood in Busan. Though many outsiders would comment how lucky they were to live by the ocean, in the first eleven years of his life, not once had Jimin stepped foot at any of Busan’s popular tourist attractions. Their home was quite far from the shore, their district sectioned off by a grand mountain range that would warrant long travel times if they wished to go.

And Jimin sure did wish to go to the sea.

 

On his eleventh birthday, he managed to convince his parents to take him to Gwangalli Beach, its waters specifically calling out to him he would claim. They traveled by bus in the wee hours of the morning in hopes of catching the sunrise, per Jimin’s request, and when they arrived, Jimin felt rejuvenated by the smell of the ocean’s spray even before he could dip his toes in the sand. When the beach finally came to view after their short walk from the bus stop, Jimin broke off into a run, the sun just breaking the horizon. Without warning, he jumped into the ocean’s welcoming waves, an action that struck his parents with fear and worry as they called out to him.  
But Jimin was fine. He was safe. When he stepped out of the waters and back into the shore, his expression full of mirth and voice filled with laughter even as he was drenched to the bone in his clothes, a young man appeared to join him, seemingly out of nowhere.

His parents’ jaws dropped at the sight and upon realizing the young man’s proximity, Jimin jumped where he stood before running to his parents’ side.

" _Oh, Jimin… There’s something you need to know,_ " his mother started the moment he gripped the hem of her shirt. Her voice was hesitant and her eyes pleaded with his father before returning her gaze to the young man before them. It unnerved Jimin, she knew, and she gulped when she kneeled beside him so she could look him in the eye. " _I want you to know that we love you very much._ "

Jimin glanced at his father, then his younger brother, then back to his mother.

" _I know._ "

" _And I want you to know that nothing will change that,_ " she continued.

" _Okay…_ "

Her breath hitched as she gathered her courage about her then she turned him to face the strange, young man.

" _We are not your real parents, but we still love you like you are our real son,_ " she finally admitted, repeating her previous proclamation to assure Jimin.

" _This man here is your real father and it seems… He would like to talk to you. Would you be okay with that?_ "

It was Jimin’s turn to have his breath catch in his throat. His eyes turned to his family imploringly, his brows furrowed in apprehension at their sudden reveal. When he looked at his younger brother, he suddenly looked like a stranger to him. It all too suddenly pained him to look at his family but he was much too afraid to approach the young man they claimed to be his father. So he shook his head as hard as he could and tightened his grip on his mother’s clothes. They left the beach and went back home before lunchtime without another word to the young man.

" _What’s the point of giving me away if he’s just gonna come back like he--like he didn’t just give me away?_ "

Jimin was crying and wailing when they got home. Jihyun hid in their bedroom while his parents were in the living room with his older brother.

" _That’s a story only your father could tell,_ " his father told him.

" _But_ you’re _my dad!_ "

" _You know what he means,_ " his mother responded, tight-lipped at Jimin’s sudden need to be smart-mouthed. But she softened quickly once again when he began to cry and wail harder. She reached out to him, placing her hands gingerly on his shoulders, and urged him to look at her. " _Your father had his reasons and if you want to know more, you should talk to him._ "

" _But I don’t want to leave you,_ " he sniffed.

" _There’s no way in hell we’re going to let you leave,_ " she scoffed.

" _Promise?_ "

" _Promise._ "

 

Jimin, with his family in his company once again, returned to Gwangalli Beach in the spring. They took the same public transit they had taken the first time, hopping on line 148 before transferring to line 49 before they reached their final destination at the Gwangan Nonghyup stop. Again, they walked the last leg of their journey to the sandy dunes of Gwangalli Beach and waited where the ocean met land. Again, the young man who his parents had claimed was his real father appeared before him, seemingly out of nowhere. Jimin pulled his lips into a tight line as he watched him take cautious steps closer to him as if he were afraid that the young boy would run at any second.  
  
Jimin didn’t.

" _Hello,_ " the man’s voice boomed, echoing the sound of the waves as they crashed onto shore. It shook Jimin to his core. " _I’ve been waiting for you._ "

" _Why?_ " Jimin asked.

" _I’ve been waiting to meet my son._ "

" _Why?_ "

The young man looked down at him quizzically, his eyes darting to Jimin’s adoptive family as they waited eagerly, before braving Jimin’s hard stare once again. He was Poseidon. He was a powerful god and his name struck fear in his enemies’ hearts. But why did this little boy and his hardened eyes strike fear in his own? It seemed for almost an eternity that he was at a loss for words, taken aback by Jimin’s expression and when he finally collected his wits, he let out his nerves in one hearty laugh. Jimin appeared to soften at the sound of it.

" _Do you know who I am?_ "

Jimin shrugged. " _You’re my dad._ "

" _True, but… Do you know who I_ am _?_ " he repeated. Jimin’s eyes blinked in confusion and again, Poseidon let out a hearty laugh. " _I am Poseidon, the Greek God of the Sea, Earthquakes, Horses, Hurricanes, Destruction, Droughts, Floods, and Storms. I am Poseidon and I am your father._ "

Poseidon waited anxiously for a response from his son who continued to look up at him in confusion. When he finally responded, he groaned.

" _So?_ "

" _I know you’re upset by the circumstances of your birth, but I want you to know that I gave you a home with this lovely couple so that you may thrive in a safe environment among mortals which I couldn’t do for you if you were with me,_ " Poseidon said as if Jimin’s troubles had all been explained to him prior. Jimin grimaced. " _And you’ve become a fine young man under their care. In doing so, it is now that I warn you that it is time for you to go to Camp Half-Blood._ "

" _What? Why? What is that even?_ " Jimin balked. When he glanced at his family, they had been surprised by the announcement as well.

" _Camp Half-Blood is where all demigods such as yourself go,_ " Poseidon explained. " _In order to continue your life in the mortal world, you must learn to defend yourself and your loved ones and the best place to do that is at Camp Half-Blood._ "

The young boy’s body whipped around so that his family had a full view of his contorted face.

" _You said I wasn’t going to leave! You promised!_ "

At this, his mother rushed to his side immediately, shielding Jimin from Poseidon. From the beginning, she and her husband knew who he was, the immortal being explaining his situation to them in its entirety. He told them of his courtship with a local Busan girl who he met on the very same beach they were at now and how he lay with her and conceived a child with her. He also told them of her tragic end when she gave birth to Jimin and how he, as God of the Sea, would not be able to bring Jimin home with him. He had pleaded with her and her husband to love and care for Jimin, pleaded with her to protect him as he grew older. And here she was now, standing up to Poseidon so that she could protect Jimin from him.

" _Agassi,_ " Poseidon crooned. " _If he doesn’t go to Camp Half-Blood, he will only bring trouble and strife to your family and your home. He needs to go in order to protect himself and to protect your family._ "

She seethed.

" _It’ll only be for the summers,_ " he finally decided to add.

 

When summer arrived, Jimin bubbled with excitement and anxiety. After officially meeting his biological father at the beach and after the negotiations that took place that day, Jimin was really unsure of how to feel. He had given in easily to his father’s suggestion of going to a summer camp for kids just like him, but because of that, he felt guilty. Even as he carried his duffel bag full of his clothes to the living room where his adoptive parents were waiting, he couldn’t help but feel like he had forsaken them.

" _It’ll only be for the summers,_ " his mother repeated.

" _You’ll be back with us in no time,_ " his father assured him.

They traveled once more to Gwangalli beach, but instead of meeting Poseidon there, Jimin was greeted by horse-like creatures jumping and flipping in the ocean waters. He wouldn’t have known any better if they hadn’t reached out to him by way of telepathy to tell him that they would be guiding him to Jeju Island.

" _Why Jeju?_ "

“ _That’s where the camp is, duh._ ”

After bidding farewell to his family, he stared dumbly at the creatures.

He thought surprises would no longer have an effect on him, but when the creatures encouraged him onto their backs so that they could swim the distance to Jeju, he was once again at a loss for words. It wouldn’t be the last time he would be while he assimilated to life at camp for when he arrived at their destination at a whopping forty minutes later, his breath was taken away by the scenery. As the hippocampi guided him to the shores of the lagoon they entered, his eyes took in as much of the great cliffside that greeted him, its lush greenery covering its backside proudly.

“ _Pretty, right?_ ”  
  
Jimin nodded.

“ _Well, you’re on your own from here, kid. You have to climb your way up to get to Half-Blood Hill. You gotta be fast too so the nasties don’t get you._ ”

Without much choice, Jimin jumped onto shore, the sound of the hippocampi laughing echoing in his mind. When they urged him one more time to make haste, he gripped his duffle bag in his arms and made a mad dash up the islet’s back.

“ _Just look for the great archway._ ”

“ _Don’t look back._ ”

The hippocampi continued to snicker until he was far enough and their voices faded away from his headspace. He continued to run, not daring to look back as they had instructed, his eyes focused on searching for the great archway instead. Jimin was quick to tire but when he saw something that resembled the shape of an archway, his speed picked up and his eyes were able to catch odd symbols etched into the structure before they glimmered into Korean characters that notified him that he had made it.

He stumbled unceremoniously through the archway and collapsed at the entrance.  
  
Jimin was fine. Jimin was safe. Jimin didn’t like those hippocampi.

 

A satyr gave him a tour of the camp. A _satyr_. Jimin had never heard of one before let alone seen one before so the whole time he was being guided around the premises, he couldn’t help but gawk at the satyr. He wasn’t any better when he met the stable attendant for pegasi, a centaur, and the security guard who had eyes all over his body...

" _Close your trap unless you wanna catch flies,_ " the satyr snorted.

The last stop of his tour were the cabins where he would be quartered throughout his stay for the summer. He followed his guide as they passed several cabins, all decorated in their own unique way, representative of the God or Goddess they were erected for. Jimin’s eyes glazed over the two cabins made of marble, one standing grande while they other stood more graceful, until his eyes landing on a long and low building built with what looked to be rough sea stones cobbled together.

" _This is the cabin for Poseidon’s kids. He ain’t got a lot of you running around from what I know, but there’s at least another one of you in there,_ " the satyr informed him before finally leaving him to his own devices.

Cautious, Jimin stepped through the front door only to be overwhelmed by Gwangalli’s ocean breeze as if he had never left it. He reveled in the atmosphere for a good while until the presence of another finally caught his attention, a young teenager he figured was much older than he was watching him with curious eyes. Jimin’s face flushed at the attention and he quickly apologized before he searched for his bed. Only to find that he had no bed.

" _Uh, they’ll have a bed for you soon,_ " the other boy informed him. " _I’ve been the only camper here since I got here so I guess they weren’t expecting another… I’m Junmyeon._ "

" _Park Jimin._ "

Jimin watched as the older boy suddenly began to pack his things.

" _Why don’t you take this bed for now? I’m sure they’ll have the other bed here by the end of the campfire, but it’d be good to unpack and kind of just… settle in, right?_ " Junmyeon rambled as he relocated his items to the other side of the cabin where the windows looked out into the cliffside. He shook his head when Jimin tried to refuse. " _I’m basically your older brother. I gotta take care of you._ "

" _But… You don’t know me._ "

Junmyeon shrugged.

 

Assimilating to camp culture was difficult for Jimin but he did not let it deter him from making new friends. With a half-sibling like Junmyeon it was easy for him to do so but even without him, Jimin would have fared just fine. Although he was bashful from the unfamiliar territory, he was quick to warm up to children his age and his natural charm drew in the attention of others easily.

And not only did Jimin draw in good attention, but he drew in bad attention just the same.

Mostly in the form of a young, brooding Hades camper by the name of Kim Taehyung.

Junmyeon had warned him of Taehyung, of how all the campers avoided him out of fear and when Jimin asked for a reason to fear him, Junmyeon couldn’t give him a straight answer. He simply chalked it up to the fact that Taehyung was a child of Hades, who was more fearsome in name than their own immortal father. Jimin thought it was ridiculous to act so prejudiced towards Taehyung just because his father was the God of the Underworld until Jimin became the target of Taehyung’s bullying.

He mostly used his words when tormenting Jimin which was easy enough for him to disregard when he returned to his cabin and it didn’t happen too often that it was deterring him in his lessons. He also noticed that right after finding him cornered by Taehyung, he would wake up moments later feeling stick to his stomach. It unnerved him to end up so defenseless around the other boy, but at least he always woke up unscathed.

" _Do you want me to talk to Kyungsoo about it?_ "

" _No, I don’t care,_ " Jimin mumbled when Junmyeon worried for him. " _He’s probably just butthurt ‘cause he’s a loser and he doesn’t have any friends._ "

" _It’s not fair for him to take it out on you._ "

Jimin shrugged and reassured the older Poseidon camper that he was better off tending to his wounds--all emotional--on his own and it went on like that for the next couple of summers he spent on the island. A word of the bullying didn’t go to any of his family members and instead, he would tell them stories of his sword fighting, his rock climbing, his Pegasus-flying--all stories much more interesting than any story about him and his battles against basic schoolyard bullying.

Besides, maybe all Taehyung wanted was to have friends and he was just acting out.  
  
He could see it in the other boy’s eyes when he shied away from the campers, watching everyone with a longing that did not reflect the malicious intent with which Jimin was occasionally greeted with. But all the same, sympathizing with his bully was hard when he was bullying him.

" _Yah, Kim Taehyung--leave him alone!_ "

It was harder to sympathize with his bully when he was bullying other campers beside himself. Jimin had come to the rescue of a camper from cabin eleven, Oh Sehun, who had been unfortunate to be at the receiving end of Taehyung’s bad mood. That day, Jimin had enough of his bullying and while the interaction sent Jimin to the infirmary that day, he had made a new friend out of Sehun who he became close to quite quickly.

 

" _Oh, Jimin-ssi, what are you doing in here?_ "

Jimin was sent to the infirmary yet again thanks to a certain Hades camper and he was resting in his cot when the familiar tenor of an Athena camper pulled him out of his thoughts. Kim Namjoon had taken the cot next to his and when Jimin turned to look at him, he was being cautious in pulling his twisted right leg onto the cot with him so he could lay comfortably. Jimin grimaced at the sight of it.

" _I wasn’t paying attention and I crashed into the cliffside when I was fooling around in the lagoon,_ " Jimin fibbed when really he had gotten his daily dosage of bullying from Taehyung that left his face bloodied and bruised by the end of their session. Namjoon didn’t need to know that though. " _What about you?_ "

Namjoon’s face flushed.

" _I fell off a pegasus and broke my leg--I swear those things have a vendetta against me._ "

Their head of security came by, eyes and all, to serve the older boy a cup of nectar and a small serving of ambrosia while a camper from Apollo’s cabin approached him to set his leg. They had to make sure it healed properly.

" _You still look like shit, Jimin-ssi, did you have any ambrosia?_ " Namjoon asked even as he winced through the pain.

Jimin shook his head. " _No. I’ve been coming to the infirmary too much. I might get sick if I eat or drink any more of that stuff._ "

Namjoon snorted. " _You must be clumsier than I am._ "

" _You have no idea._ "

" _That’s a little reassuring. At least I’ll have a friend here in the infirmary whenever I get hurt,_ " Namjoon groaned after one swift movement against his leg from his healer. " _It gets lonely being the camp klutz…_ "

Jimin politely laughed, earning him a sly look from the older boy.

" _Ah, my neighbor is clumsy and cute._ "

Jimin froze at that, surprised by the comment that Namjoon had thrown his way when he least expected it. His face must have flushed red because the older boy began to laugh, his own laughter deep and husky, which only caused his cheeks to sting in embarrassment. Namjoon was knowingly flirting with him to get a rise out of him. Although flattering, he knew that he had a boyfriend and the hairs on the back of his head rose in his journey to chastise the older boy when--

" _Yah, what would your boyfriend think?_ "

Kim Seokjin came in just as Argus and the healer left. He swatted Namjoon at the side of his head.

" _Hey, I’m crippled!_ "

Jimin’s face could not hurt any more than it did now. He felt like his cheeks could burst from all the embarrassment.

" _Don’t listen to anything that comes out of Namjoon's mouth,_ " Seokjin warned him. " _He doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut sometimes._ "

" _Hey, I’m just trying to lighten up the mood. We’re both quite beat up if you haven’t noticed yet,_ " Namjoon pouted.

Seokjin continued to chastise Namjoon but while his voice was stern, the pink-haired boy’s body was melting into the blonde-haired boy’s body while sweet nothings slipped from between his bubbly lips.

" _Quit it, Jimin-ssi’s here,_ " Seokjin whined but did nothing else to stop Namjoon’s attack.

Instead, Jimin turned in his cot and shut his eyes.

 

Sure enough, Jimin spent a lot more time in the infirmary and in turn, he saw a lot more of Namjoon. Sometimes Seokjin kept him company and sometimes he didn’t. Jimin especially liked it when Seokjin wasn’t there.

" _Hey, Jiminie._ "

" _Yeh, hyung._ "

" _I saw you with that Hades kid this morning._ "

" _Oh… Oh yeah?_ "

" _Are you okay?_ "

" _Yeah, it’s nothing._ "

" _It’s not nothing._ "

“ _He’s not always like that. He can’t help it. It’s fine._ "

" _. . ._ "

Jimin turned in his cot to face the older boy. Namjoon looked at him imploringly from his own.

" _I guess it is fine. We get to hang out as twisted as that sounds._ "

" _Stop talking like that, Seokjin-hyung will be annoyed._ "

" _Why? I can have friends! I like hanging out with friends!_ "

" _Friends, right._ "

 

On special occasions, Jimin would sneak away from camp to wade in the waters of the lagoon. The ocean waters always had a certain healing effect on him that helped cleanse him not only of his physical worries but his emotional and spiritual worries as well. He would dive into the open water when he was frustrated with his slow progress in honing his abilities or when he would want to hide from a certain camper…

Lately, he had been stealing himself away to the ocean to contemplate unrequited love.

As he floated on the surface of the ocean, he looked up onto the expanse of the sky while the image of a certain Athena camper claimed a permanent spot in his mind. A frown settled on his expression as well. He had tried so hard to ignore the way Namjoon and his charms wiggled its way into his heart, Seokjin being his main worry, but at that point, he realized he couldn’t help himself anymore. Jimin tried to look to Junmyeon and to Sehun for advice but…

" _He's leading you on, Jimin. Do you want me to tell him to back off?_ "

" _Ah, I think it’s best to move on… There are other cute, tall, brainiacs in the… sea?_ "

Jimin gagged, disgusted with himself and the feelings he now harbored and when a distraction presented itself to him, he gladly welcomed it especially when he was frightened out of his thoughts.

It came in the way of water breaking into heavy waves and Taehyung’s name echoing into the lagoon.

He righted himself in the water to find signs of struggle closer to the cliffside, a broken cry being swallowed by the vicious current’s pull still echoing with Taehyung’s name. Without any more hesitation, Jimin swam to the source and found Jeon Jungkook struggling to fight against the water, Taehyung’s name falling from his lips. If he had any time, he would have wondered what kind of connection the two boys had, but Jungkook looked worse for wear and he had to get him back to land.

With one arm holding Jungkook close to his own body, he managed to propel both their weight to shore. It was a strong feat for Jimin who struggled to manifest his powers over the past few years and to use it to carry the weight of another growing teenager was commendable. Again, if he had time, he would be patting himself on the back, but Taehyung had to be out there. Jimin could only assume with the way that the Ares child called out for him. He dove back in, hasty in locating the other boy, and hasty in returning to shore with him once he had.

He might have been a little rough with the way he brought him back, but who was going to complain?

" _He’s… he’s not waking up!_ "

Jimin’s brows furrowed with frustration as he looked down at Taehyung. In a perfect rhythm, he tended to his unconscious body, compressions, mouth-to-mouth, compressions, mouth-to-mouth, and over again until he was finally responsive and coughing up the water that had filled up his lungs. Immediately, Jungkook was shaking him out of his stupor and Jimin jumped back.

He didn’t know why, but he watched the scene unfold before him, regardless of how awkward it was to witness.  
  
Were they friends…?  
  
Lovers…?

His face twisted at the conclusion that he was given, confused as to how two oddballs such as Taehyung and Jungkook had managed to become close. He could have spent all afternoon trying to map out the timeline of the two boys’ friendship, but his mind had wandered back to the event that took place just before that.

Had… Kim Taehyung tried to kill himself?

Dumbfounded, he blinked at the child of Hades in wonder. At that moment, he didn’t look like the Kim Taehyung that tormented him so severely the past few summers and instead, he looked like a Kim Taehyung misunderstood and dejected.

Then Jimin bit his lip when Jungkook introduced him as if it were the first time they had met.

" _Was he the one who was kissing me?_ "

Jimin broke out in laughter, caught off guard by the question more than anything.  
  
How the hell did things get so mixed up like this?

 

After that, Jimin found himself spending more time with Taehyung and Jungkook. With past actions forgiven--but not forgotten--Sehun tagged along as well. Ever since he saved Taehyung’s life, the aura that had once tormented him into fear had dwindled and while Sehun was slower to assimilate, he soon was able to mingle comfortably within the new group.

 

Jimin rarely spoke of his life outside of camp, focused instead on the Now when he was training or mingling with other campers. His mind was always racing with the desire to improve himself that his civilian life never came to light unless his colleagues specifically asked about it. That in itself was not a recurring topic with others with the same mindset as his though and he preferred it that way sometimes.

So imagine his surprise when he ran into Namjoon at university after the first week of his freshman year.

" _Oh, Jiminie, what are you doing here?_ " As clueless as a freshman could be, Jimin blinked at the older man.

" _Um, I go to school here._ "

Namjoon smiled and all at once, he felt like his heart had failed him and jumped back to life. Over and over again.

" _Seokjin and I go to school here too! I’m in the music department and he’s in the theater department,_ " Namjoon exclaimed.

Jimin offered him a soft smile. Of course, Seokjin went to school there too.

" _I’m in the dance department._ "

" _Wow, I didn’t know you dance! You must be really good if you’re in the program here,_ " Namjoon ooed and awed. " _I’d love to see you dance some time. Maybe hit Seokjin and I up so we can hang out?_ "

Jimin collected two numbers that day, both Namjoon’s and Seokjin’s, but they remained forgotten--AKA ignored--in his contacts list throughout his first year at school. It was already too much to see them at camp together, the son of Poseidon did his best to avoid them on campus. It was foolish, having to explain himself when he would return to camp and finally be tasked with confronting them, but he told himself that he fared well with his course of action.

 

" _Showcase… Rehearsals… Work… Recital... Family…_ "

 

" _Excuses… Excuses… Excuses…_ "

 

Splash!

Jimin left his home in Busan early in the morning, taking a bus to Gwangalli Beach for his own departure to Jeju Island. Ever since he first met his biological father, he had taken this same route to the camp at the beginning of every summer and back at the end of every summer. At first, he was accompanied with his father’s hippocampi, but when he turned eighteen, he insisted that he traveled on his own. He never spoke to the Divine Being directly, but he assumed the message was received well when he arrived at the beach with no one to greet him but the vast ocean.

And it had been that way the past five years since.

He knew that his friend from the Ares cabin, Jungkook, had opted to fly, but the skies were dangerous for a child of Poseidon. While he had no ill will towards Zeus and the children in his cabin as was typical, the mere feeling of being so high above the ground made his heart drop to his stomach. Besides, there was no need for him to rush to camp. If he went at top speed, he would arrive at his destination in two hours but he always liked to take his time and that always extended his travel by another two hours. It was the main reason he would leave his neighborhood at the crack of dawn to nearly arrive at camp by noon.

“ _Welcome back._ "


	5. Min Yoongi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why is Min Yoongi such a grumpy cat?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by dear pinqaliqo!

Humans are not creatures without flaws. They live, they love, they learn, they destroy, they hate, they make mistakes all at once. That is what makes them so uniquely human and Min Kwangshik and Ahn Myungsook were no different. High school sweethearts with plans to take over the world and one careless decision ripped them from their aspirations. Kwangshik was the star shooting guard of their high school basketball team and was not only sought out by college basketball teams but by KBL scouts as well. Myungsook wanted to take her creativity and nimble fingers out onto the runway and slap her name on a fashion line.

They were big dreams, placed on the back burner when Min Joonki, a product of their one, careless decision, came into their lives. Instead of burning rubber on the court or breaking necks on the runway, they were stuck at meaningless jobs while tending to their newborn, Kwangshik on the monotonous assembly line at night and Myungsook in the lawless marketplace during the day.

They were only nineteen, babies taking care of babies.

Still, Myungsook continued to dream and as she did, eventually gained the attention of Hypnos.

Hypnos, lazy and lethargic in the comfort of a palatial cave of his own design as the River of Lethe bubbled seductively beside it, had stumbled into the dreams of Myungsook. He was lured in by her deepest desires and greatest aspirations and he watched attentively as her dreams would play out from the most discreet crevices of her psyche. It was protocol to refrain from meddling with human affairs but it was new for any of his relatives to conveniently forget protocol.

After building up his courage, he introduced himself to the young woman in the middle of her latest fantasy. Too easily, he charmed her with words dripped in flattery and promises and all too soon, Myungsook begged to see him in the world of the awake.

Hypnos all too willingly obliged her.

Ensuring that Kwangshik would not be disturbed in his sleep was not a tough task for the God of Sleep. The young was out in the blink of an eye and Hypnos was finally able to meet Myungsook in their miserable home and see her in all her miserable glory. No glimmer, no glam, no fanfare, no theatrics.

Young Myungsook, poor, miserable, and withered.

He took pity on her that night but loved her all the same.

And nine months later, Min Yoongi arrived.

Then Hypnos disappeared from Myungsook’s dreams.

\--

“ _Hyung, I’m hungry._ ”

Eyes aloof, young Yoongi peered up at his older brother from the couch when he came home from a day at school.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner--Joonki prepared them all for the two of them, their parents leaving them to their own devices once Yoongi could walk and talk all on his own and when Joonki learned to navigate the chaotic streets of Daegu. Meals were not the most challenging tasks for the older Min brother. Butter and toast, bland oatmeal, a banana split in half were their options for breakfast. Joonki would have lunch at school and Yoongi would wait until he got home to cook him instant ramyeon--split in half so that he could have the other half for dinner while Joonki managed to survive on simple chicken broth.

Just like any other day, Joonki offered him a soft smile after setting down his school bag to prepare their next meal.

“ _Hyung, we can only have one packet,_ ” he stammered when he watched his brother take two from the cabinets. “ _Umma and appa will be angry…_ ”

Joonki shrugged. “ _Trust hyung--they won’t find out._ ”

Yoongi scrunched his nose in uncertainty.

“ _And if they do, I’ll take care of it._ ”

The first offense had gone unnoticed by his parents and momentarily, Yoongi was relieved. He really enjoyed eating more than their normal rations and he liked sharing this secret with his brother, but he still had that creeping feeling that his parents were waiting to reveal that they had known that the two young boys had disregarded their rules and would reprimand them the way they did when they felt slighted by their children. But for the following weeks, there was no punishment for their crimes--but plenty for other little misdeeds.

Yoongi was too slow in responding when his mother hollered for toilet paper in the bathroom.

Joonki did not let his father’s clothes dry properly, forcing the man to go to work in damp clothes.

Little misdeeds, heavy retribution.

Angry, Joonki decided once again to cook two packets of ramen for Yoongi’s afternoon meal. And again. And again. And again.

Until finally he got caught again.

As Yoongi watch belt meet bottom, Joonki took a brunt of the punishment for stealing rations just like he had promised him before they were finally allowed to retire to their cramped, shared bedroom. Yoongi grimaced when he watched his brother squirm in his seat, buttocks still sore from his beating.

“ _We shouldn’t have done that,_ ” Yoongi heaved, overwhelmed by his parents’ renewed wrath over the stolen instant meals--overwhelmed by the way his brother wailed when he was dealt his punishment.

“ _Why not?_ ” Joonki hissed. “ _We’re hungry. They’re supposed to feed us. It’s not fair that they horde all that food for themselves._ ”

The younger boy remained unconvinced.

“ _I hate them,_ ” Joonki seethed.

\--

Joonki used to be on his side. For a good chunk of his adolescence, it had been the two of them against their parents, depending on one another to get through another day of yelling and sometimes--AKA more often than not--smacking. But as Yoongi tiptoed into his pre-teen years, his brother had grown distant and cold towards him. The smallest things would cause the older boy to lash out at him and soon, he resembled their parents in more ways than just looks.

Joonki left him to fend for himself.

\--

“ _Who said you could eat my ramyeon? I cooked that for myself!_ ”

“ _Yoongi! Come here! Does this look clean to you? After all this time, you still can’t get it right._ ”

“ _It’s nine o’clock in the evening and we have to work to feed you guys, the least you could do is keep quiet so we can get some rest!_ ”

“ _Goddamnit, Yoongi… This is why they keep yelling at us--because you can’t even follow simple instructions._ ”

If they meant to break him and turn him into the same hollowed hull that the streets of Daegu had made of his family, instead it turned him into a dreamer.

\--

Yoongi couldn’t recall when they started occurring but he swore that when he went to bed at night, he would find himself looking at his sleepless body before being put out into the night sky overlooking his hometown. With every single night that passed, each dream became more vivid and clear than the one before. Soon his dreams would take him away from his body and to a small lagoon in one of the islets that belonged to Jeju Island. There, he would find a small, undisturbed settlement of children and adults striving peacefully. He found odd creatures inhabiting the island along with them, creatures with goat-like legs, creatures with torsos of man and bodies of a horse for legs. He had seen nothing like them before but he was intrigued by the stories that his dreams were right for them.

Yoongi visited this place in his dreams a handful--or more--times before he finally decided that he wanted to find this settlement and live there more than he wanted to live at home.

One day, he skipped school to return to his home and pack as many of his belongings as he could into his school bag-pants, shirts, underwear, socks. Only essentials, no luxuries. Not that he had any to his name.

Then he ran out his front door and never looked back again.

He was only fifteen.

\--

Yoongi groaned. He had acted hastily and left his home with no money in his pocket. There was no way he was going to be able to catch a bus to go south then catch the ferry to get to Jeju island. There was no way he was going to be able to feed himself. Not without money. He had tried to walk for the first three days of his journey, surviving off free cups of water and swiping scraps from abandoned tables at fast food restaurants, but he did not have enough sustenance to keep going on. On his fourth day of traveling, he lay limp in an alleyway trying to find the strength to continue.

“ _Hello?_ ”

He froze where he lay, core engaged and limbs tense. As a young runaway, he knew he had to be stealthy and not steal attention for himself so as not to get caught only to be sent back home. Yoongi fared well for the first few days but if the authorities discovered him then and there, there was no way he could attempt either fight or flight. His hope of escaping his home almost left him.

“ _I’m pretty sure… I smelled you here…_ ”

The sound of trash clattered about as the intruder continued their search. Yoongi began to tremble.

“ _Ah, hey. I’ve been looking for you for forever_.”

A young boy, around his age, if Yoongi could guess properly, came into his view and sniffed at him in his decrepit state. He wore an odd-looking hat on his head and when Yoongi turned, he noticed that the young boy was crippled and wore crutches as he walked. The young boy paid him no mind as Yoongi gawked at him. Words escaped him at that moment.

“ _My name is Yeomra,_ ” the boy greeted himself before balancing himself on one crutch to reach into the knapsack he carried with him. Yoongi suddenly came to life when Yeomra tossed a hamburger wrapped in foil in his direction. He inhaled it in seconds. “ _You’ve been giving me quite the slip. I was wondering when you’d tire out._ ”

Yoongi belched and now that he was fed and felt a new surge of energy, he managed to pull back from Yeomra and hold his hands up in defense.

“ _Why? Have you been following me?_ ” he asked, his voice hard and heavy.

Yeomra scoffed. “ _Don’t you mean “Thank you”? I just fed you, man. You’re welcome._ ”

“ _Thank you,_ ” Yoongi bit back. “ _But seriously, are you following me?_ ”

“ _Yeah, man. It’s kind of my job,_ ” Yeomra finally informed him. “ _I’m here to take you to Jeju Island._ ”

Yoongi must have heard him wrong. He probably wasn’t even there. Yeomra was probably just a figment of his imagination because how could this complete stranger know that he was trying to get to Jeju Island? He hadn’t spoken to anyone the past three days and did his best to remain inconspicuous in public.

He finally rose to his feet and pinched the young boy in front of him.

" _Ow! What the hell?_ ”

The boy standing before him definitely had to be real, not a figment of his imagination. With nothing else to lose, Yoongi let his arms hang loosely on his side and sighed. He followed Yeomra in hopes that he would take him where he wanted to go.

\--

Good God did Yeomra like to talk. He was fortunate that Yoongi was not much of a talker as he was a boy of few words, but his incessant yapping got on Yoongi’s nerves quite quickly. He chose to stew in his frustration though as most of the words that came out of Yeomra’s mouth were explanations that any normal kid would have been looking for if someone revealed that they had been looking for them to take them to a place that they been dreaming of for a long time.

Yadda-yadda-he was a satyr. Yadda-yadda-his job was to search for demigods. Yadda-yadda-yadda-Yoongi is a demigod.

When the other boy, stumbling on all four of his legs--crutches and his own two false human feet--explained that Yoongi was the offspring of an Olympic deity, he could not believe what he was saying. Demigods, as he had described, were superhuman beings with superhuman abilities that reflected their parents’ abilities and there was no way Yoongi was to be grouped with these kids. If he had any superpowers it was probably something stupid because whatever they were have been useless even up to that point.

“ _But you smell like a demigod, that I’m sure of,_ ” Yeomra sniffed when Yoongi pointed out this contrasting detail. “ _Don’t worry about it too much. We’ve got all sorts of late bloomers at the camp. That’s probably why it took us a while to find you. Although you didn’t really make it easy by lying on a bunch of trash. Speaking of, you smell like shit._ ”

“ _Wow, thanks,_ ” Yoongi mumbled before turning away from him.

“ _We need to get you cleaned up before we get you on that bus._ ”

“ _Um, with what money?_ ”

“ _With this money._ ”

When Yoongi snuck a peek, he found Yeomra grinning foolishly at him with a wallet full of cash. He was glad that he had decided to follow this kid after all.

\--

The duo went from walking to riding the bus to walking to finally wind up in Wando before Yeomra bought two tickets for a ride on a ferry to Jeju Island. That isn’t to say that those were their only worries during his journey. Street thugs threatened them, local police chased them down, and odd-looking dogs nipped at their heels. His most unforgettable encounter had to be the strange, human-sized creature with bat-like wings that tried to pluck Yoongi from their path to Half-Blood Hill only to have him retaliate with a dumb, butterfly knife he had obtained from one of the street thugs that had confronted him prior. Yeomra freaked out, to put it lightly, but once they were in the barriers of camp, they rested easy.

Yeomra told him just as much.

“ _You’ll be staying in here,_ ” Yeomra told him when he guided him immediately to a collection of cabins all decorated in their own unique flair. The one they stood before looked worn down and abused. “ _This is the Hermes cabin. While children of Hermes sleep here, they accept everyone--children of minor Gods and those unclaimed._ ”

Yoongi didn’t miss the look of pity that fluttered on the satyr’s expression.

“ _Get some rest tonight. Tomorrow you’ll get a better debriefing._ ”

It was only when Yeomra disappeared from his sight that Yoongi decided to enter the cabin. Since it was late, however many inhabitants had been there, were already asleep. This left him at a loss of where to sleep as it looked as if there was not much more space left for him until he managed to squeeze some space for himself in a corner of the room.

\--

“ _Holy shit… You really slept for three days._ ”

That was the first thing Yoongi heard right before he woke up and when his eyes finally shot open, he was greeted by the round visage of a young girl blinking at him curiously. It nearly caused him to jump out of his corner, drawing a startled laugh from the girl.

“ _Good morning, sleepy-head. You’re new right? You were just kind of here when we woke up three days ago. It was kind of wild._ ”

Yoongi grimaced. She spoke too much.

“ _Have you had a chance to check out the camp? Breakfast hasn’t started yet but I can show you around if you’d like._ ”

“ _No thanks._ ”

“ _What?_ ”

“ _I said no thanks. You’re too loud._ ”

\--

Word traveled much too quickly about Yoongi’s cold response to the Hermes cabin’s brightest personality, Bae Sunyoung, daughter of Iris. It was annoying, the way campers stared at him and whispered behind his back as he strolled through the camp during his self-curated tour. It wasn’t even like he made her cry--he was sure she didn’t because all she did when he responded was stare at him with a dumbfounded look on her face.

Whatever, it didn’t matter. If they were going to judge him based on one interaction that took place after his sleep had been so rudely interrupted, so be it. Human engagements were so exhausting anyway.

 

_8:45, on the way to heaven_   
_only good is existing in that peaceful place_   
_It was 8:45, on the way to heaven_   
_if you can hear my voice, know that I love you_

 

Yoongi froze at the sound of the words from the eighth cabin standing accompanied by the dramatic melody of the piano twisted with the steady rhythm of drums and guitar. His eyes peered at the porch of the cabin to find a tall and lanky teenager posted by the threshold with an old-fashioned radio on his lap while bobbed his head along with the music. He watched for a few more seconds, listened to the music for a few more seconds before finally taking a few hesitant steps towards the boy and the cabin.

“ _I love this song,_ ” the teenager breathed heavily, continuing with his motions along with the music, eyes closed. “ _It’s so bare-boned in emotions and the way his voice cries along to the instrumentals--so haunting._ ”

At least twenty feet away, Yoongi waited.

“ _The song is about his grandma. She died recently,_ ” the boy added before finally opening his eyes. “ _You like hip-hop?_ ”

Yoongi shrugged. “ _I don’t… really listen to music._ ”

The other boy’s jaw dropped in disbelief before urging him to sit with him by the door. While still unsure about approaching him, he slowly closed the gap between them and claimed a seat beside the other boy before folding his hands in his lap. Then the boy unleashed lecture after lecture after playing song after song for Yoongi. His name was Kim Namjoon, child of Athena, a strong advocate for music.

Even though he was long-winded, Yoongi liked him.

He wasn't intrusive like any of the other campers he had already encountered at least.

\--

“ _Hey Yoongi-oppa!_ ”

He groaned at the sound of his name being called out. He didn’t know what it was that he did but Sunyoung had been relentless and unyielding in her approach with him. Was it because he had snubbed her so carelessly when he first met her? She probably should have gotten the hint that he wasn’t that interested in talking to her in the first place.

“ _A bunch of us are gonna do arts and crafts on our free time--do you wanna join?_ ”

Yoongi twisted in his bed, which he managed to acquire when an older camper decided he was not returning for the summer and frowned at her.

“ _No._ ”

“ _Why not? It’ll be fun!_ ”

He sighed. He knew what she was trying to do. Ever since the story of his first interaction with her had gone around camp, his peers walked on eggshells around him (save for Namjoon and his boyfriend, Seokjin, for which he was very thankful) and Sunyoung tried her best to make him feel included. It was a nice gesture on her part especially when apparently, he had been so rude to her, but all together he did not like the extra attention that she was giving him. It was getting to be too tiresome and annoying for him to deal with.

“ _I know you’re trying to make me feel included, but I’m not into that,_ ” Yoongi explained. “ _I’d pretty much prefer just staying in and napping._ ”

“ _I’ll join you then!_ ”

She had said it so suddenly that she hadn’t realized what she said until after, her face flushing out of embarrassment. He simply looked at her like she was crazy.

“ _I mean, like, you can nap in your bed and I can nap in mine._ ”

“ _I’d rather be alone,_ ” he muttered.

“ _That’s not what your aura says,_ ” she muttered right back.

“ _Stop doing that! It’s fucking creepy!_ ”

Yoongi nearly shouted in response, frightening Sunyoung, but he hated that she could clearly see right through him. Her abilities could just as easily pass as telepathy as her ability allowed to read the color of a person’s aura and mood. He knew that it was a passive ability that she had no control over, but the least she could do was act like she couldn’t read everyone’s moods at all. It was so invasive… Yoongi’s shoulders shuddered.

“ _Sorry._ ”

Sunyoung sniffed and finally left the cabin.

\--

“ _She likes you._ ”

Seokjin stared at the mint-haired teenager knowingly, his gaze cold and piercing. He had just finished complaining to them about a certain girl from his cabin when the older man decided to enlighten him. When Yoongi’s eyes flickered to Namjoon who was sitting beside his boyfriend on a bench outside of Aphrodite’s cabin, Namjoon nodded at him.

“ _She likes you._ ”

“ _Okay then. So what?_ ”

Seokjin snorted. “ _Have a little compassion. We teenagers can be quite self-destructive._ ”

“ _Again, so what? You want me to be nice to her? I don’t want her to think I like her._ ”

“ _True, but you don’t have to be an asshole about it,_ ” Seokjin told him.

Yoongi looked to the Athena camper once again, valuing his intellect far more than his boyfriend’s but the taller boy simply shrugged. He knew how to pick his battles and he knew that this was one that he would not win against Seokjin, son of the Goddess of Love. Defeated, Yoongi sighed before taking his leave from the tenth cabin so he could return to his own which was just right next door. There wasn’t more he could say to his friends without him repeating himself.

He was also quite unsure if he could hide the way his heart palpitated when they confirmed what he had suspected for some time: that Sunyoung liked him. He clutched his shirt over his chest as he rushed back to cabin eleven and upon entering, he found her at her bed, speaking with their other cabin mates. She had looked up as soon as he entered and when she did, he rushed passed to get to his bed.

He jumped and hid under the covers as quickly as he could.

If she stared long enough, she would notice the possible change in his aura and he didn’t want her to see that at all.

\--

“ _Hey, Yoongi-oppa! Guess what?_ ”

Yoongi sighed and placed his book on his chest, his eyes trained on the creaky old ceiling of their cabin.

“ _What?_ ”

“ _I was asked to join the Hunters._ ”

Yoongi blinked. Why was she telling him this?

“ _Should I do it? I’m kind of nervous._ ”

Yoongi sighed once more and picked up his book, ignoring the way his heart raced.

“ _Do what you want. I don’t care._ ”

\--

He didn’t like her.  
  
He most definitely didn’t try to find her in his dreams when she left. That was stupid.  
  
He didn’t like her.

\--

As crowded as cabin eleven was, it became much quieter when Bae Sunyoung left their ranks. Yoongi didn’t complain as he preferred the peace that blessed the cabin. He could sleep easy whenever he wanted and didn’t have to worry about that young girl breathing down his back to see if he wanted to do arts and crafts. He didn’t have to worry about the millions of questions that shot out of her mouth one after the other and he didn’t have to worry about hurting anyone’s feelings again.

Not like he worried about that in the first place.

But soon, he began to realize he was missing all of the above, her absence leaving a void in his existence. Aside from Namjoon, she had been the first person to approach him with no hesitation and was not discouraged even when he tried to push her away. He first chalked it up to his loneliness, that he simply missed being sought after, but he finally came to terms with the fact that at some point…

He had grown to adore the younger Iris camper. But it was too late for him to do anything about his feelings at that point. Sunyoung made her vows and to break them would bring about her death at the hands of Artemis's wrath. He grimaced at the thought. So when the Hunter’s returned to camp two years later, he bothered not with interacting with Sunyoung and simply watched as she mingled with her kin.

Unbeknownst to him, she continued to steal fleeting glances at him.

\--

When the news traveled back to camp that Sunyoung met her demise, Yoongi became bedridden with guilt and remorse, his body numb and petrified. She had tried to recant her vows and defied Artemis, but to defy a divine being was to write your death wish. And it was all because of him.

From what little information they were given, Artemis had been at least merciful enough to let her spirit lay in the night sky among the stars.

\--

Was he even worth the trouble?

\--

“ _You’re a dick, Yoongi,_ ” Namjoon told him truthfully. “ _You’re a dick but it wasn’t your fault. The Gods are smiteful and egotistical pricks. If it was anyone’s fault it would be theirs._ ”

His fists clenched at the fabric of his pillows. Yoongi knew his friend was right.

“ _Okay, now let’s get you out of bed,_ ” Namjoon attempted.

“ _Why don’t we try tomorrow?_ ”

The taller teenager groaned but yielded when Yoongi turned away from him in his bed. Yoongi would join the rest of the campers when he was ready, on his own time, and Namjoon understood that. The Hermes camper was grateful when his friend left him alone for the rest of the day.

\--

At the crack of dawn, Yoongi rose from his bed in the deepest corners of the camp’s most used and abused cabin. With sleep still weighing down on his eyelids, he took a quick sweep of the beds around him to find that perhaps two others had been occupied by the time he woke up and promptly fell right back to sleep.

While it was just another day for year-rounders like himself, campers who made the choice to head home after last summer ended would be returning that day. In other words, his participation was not needed. He opted instead to project his spirit out of his body to wonder the civilian streets of Jeju Island. Yoongi did this often and found that it was his favorite past-time to watch residents living peacefully and humbly. He enjoyed most watching the _haenyeo_ as they rose to work early in the morning and came to the markets with their large bounty of seafood to sell.

When he was awake, he did much of the same thing, slipping away from the safety of the campground’s boundaries to people watch.

“ _So what’d you do all year?_ ” Namjoon asked him when he found him awake hours later, just a little later in the afternoon, lounging about on the porch of the Hermes cabin. He himself had arrived on the campgrounds not too long from then, setting up his bunk before promptly stopping by to visit the sleepy camper.

“ _Same old, same old,_ ” Yoongi sniffed as he shrugged.

\--

Yoongi’s aspirations were almost non-existent but if he had to keep on living, he would do it for his friends.


End file.
